Two Lehigh men have been charged by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for stealing a stove from a vacant home.

The suspects were identified as Jose Hernandez, 29, and Antonio Moya, 23, both of Lehigh Acres. Each has been charged with one count of burglary to an unoccupied residence and one count of grand theft.

Investigators said that on Friday, September 3, shortly before 11 a.m., a deputy patrolling in Lehigh saw a black Ford F-150 on Graystone Ave. approaching Nimitz Blvd., noticing a stove in the bed of the pickup truck.

As the deputy proceeded down Graystone he saw a garage door at 1041 Graystone Ave. was open about a foot.

The deputy turned around and soon saw the same vehicle stopped north of his location on Graystone at Darlington St. The two occupants of the truck were observed hurriedly carrying the stove from the truck in an attempt to conceal it behind some bushes, according to Larry King, a public information officer with the Sheriff’s Office.

An additional unit was requested and the suspects were detained. Further investigation confirmed the two were suspects in burglary of the vacant home, accused of stealing the stove. The owner was located and the property returned, King said